


Take a Step

by nitohkousuke



Series: How To Be A Person: Vanitas Edition [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 17:52:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17792000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nitohkousuke/pseuds/nitohkousuke
Summary: POST KH3 SPOILERS I THINKXion calls Vanitas out.





	Take a Step

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea what im doing and i hope i did xion well but also yeah
> 
> also yall i polyship like FUCK in KH so uh. i didnt tag all the hinted ships because LOL

“Are you going to sit there all day and sulk?” Xion sits down next to Vanitas. Or rather she sits in his vicinity. 

He can't blame her for not wanting to get close. He's not exactly friendly. That's fine. He doesn't need friends. He doesn't need anything. He's content to just exist in this group. That'll get Ventus off his case. If he tries to leave in the middle of the night to try to disappear in the key blade graveyard again, Ventus is probably going to hand cuff them together.

Though, if he doesn't attempt to social, Ventus is going to try to “invite” him to activities that he conveniently forgets about or wrangle him to talk to someone for more than the basic necessities.

Vanitas isn't meant to be in this group. He's wearing Sora's face. He's part of Ventus's heart. He's more than accounted for. They let that Riku Replica go off and not exist. But no, he has to exist for some stupid reason.

“I don't sulk.” Vanitas replies curtly looking straight ahead. This is his first time really interacting with her. He knows nothing about her. Vaguely. Roxas and Axel had given him a lecture about being mean to her or something. He hadn't listened. He didn't care.

What were they going to do? Kill him? HAH. If only.

“That's why you're sitting here as the others are building sandcastles, staring at them like if you glare hard enough you'll set them on fire or...” Xion pauses. “...Maybe they'll come ask you why you're staring.”

What is she getting at.

“The first thing.” Vanitas frowns crossing his arms. “I don't even want to be here. I absolutely hate the beach. Sand is....disgusting. And I don't this sun block is going to stop me from burning. I'm literal darkness.” He tilts the beach umbrella to cover him more. As much shadows as he can get.

“No...I think...I think you want to be friends with them but you'd rather sit here and sulk because you don't think you can.” The sheer confidence in her voice pisses him off and he can feel his control slip enough that an Unversed pops up next to her. He poofs it quickly before Ventus notices.

“...I do not want to be friends with anyone. So it does not matter if I can or not.” He Can't. He's Sora's face stapled over a copy of Ventus's heart. He's pure darkness and everyone here is a guardian of light. Everyone here has something.

He is nothing.

“Normally, I think you're a pretty good liar. Axel doesn't know you ate his candy. No one knows who broke the window on the first floor. Even now, Roxas won't figure out it was you who ate the ice cream he brought to share.” Xion gives him a knowing smile. “You better give me some of the last thing or I will tell him though.”

“You aren't going to out right reveal my crime?” Vanitas squints at her, suspiciously.

“It's his fault for letting you do it. Ice cream isn't a limited resource anyway.” Xion shrugs.

“You're a good liar to those who don't know what to look for.”

And that's infuriating. Because...

“And you do?”

There's a pause as Roxas shows Sora a shell he's found that looks Rainbow in the light. As the two of them laugh and show Riku who shows his own shells he's found.

“I know what it's like to think you don't fit in. To feel like you already exist in some other way, so you shouldn't.” Xion frowns. “I don't know what Xehanort did to you. I can't understand that. But I do know feeling like a copy even when you're not.”

“....You're different.” Vanitas tightens his grip on the umbrella, trying to ground himself. Calm. Cool. Collected. “Even if you're what you are. You have friends. You have a group. Besides, what would you be? Sora? Roxas? Kairi. You're none of those. Not even a little.” Vanitas digs hims hands into the hot sand. He hates it. Hate is easier to focus on.

“Are you Ventus?” Xion drags her fingers from the sand. “Because I heard you say this morning that Ventus was half as smart of you. I don't think the math checks out.”

“I'm made from him. Obviously, I took all his brains.” Vanitas grumbles, not liking where this conversation is going.

“Oh? So you have all his memories? You know every single thing he's done?” He can see the smirk on her face from the corner of his eyes.

Fuck her.

“...No. But I'm-”

“Not Ventus. And I really don't think you're gonna tell me that you're Sora. It doesn't matter if you look similar. Terra and Aqua don't treat Roxas weird for looking like Ven.”

He's losing this argument. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Yes, but Roxas isn't wearing someone's face while being darkness incarnate.”

That's a solid reason. He's sure.

“Oh yeah sure. Because Isa and Axel were totally never bad guys? Or Ienzo? Because people don't change-”

“I AM NOT PEOPLE.” Vanitas stands to his full height knocking the umbrella over.

“You have feelings. I think that makes you a person. I was just a copy of memories with no will on a doll. I'm a person.” Xion shrugs before getting up and walking towards the others.

“The only thing that stands in your way to being part of the group is yourself. You want human interaction. Go get it. You want to be close. Go do it. You have to fight for what you want. But I guess you have to decide you want it first, huh?”

Xion turns to look at him.

“Don't forget. You have to let your heart be your guiding key. And to do that, you have to actually listen to it. Admit it's there.” 

Vanitas frowns staring at the others who've turned after his outburst. He can see Axel and Roxas with their hands ready to summon their key blades. Ventus has a frown on his face.

He doesn't have a heart. He isn't a person.

His chest hurts when he storms off though.


End file.
